Track Listing

1. Them Bones
2. Dam That River
3. Rain When I Die
4. Sick Man
5. Rooster
6. Junkhead
7. Dirt
8. God Smack
9. Hate To Feel
10. Angry Chair
11. Down In A Hole
12. Would

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3065 in Music
• Released on: 2001-12-10
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Import

Amazon.co.uk Review
Alice In Chains were initially tagged with the "grunge" moniker, when in fact their haunting, ponderous sound was far closer to the progressive rock of Queensryche. Their second album Dirt was a moody, portentous affair, filled with occasionally inspired riffing from guitar-player Jerry Cantrell and hair-tossed wailing from singer Layne Staley. Perhaps the band got lumped in with Generation X because of their lyrics--depression, death and drugs. Certainly, titles like "Down In A Hole, "Junkhead" and "Hate To Feel" didn't leave much room for doubt as to what Cantrell's particular passion was for. The quartet did have a slightly lighter, almost poppy side to them, though, as "God Smack" and Hate To Feel" indicated. In the main, however, Dirt was classic angst rock, of the style their peers Pearl Jam had made so popular. --Everett True

CD Description
Brutal and hard but exciting and surprisingly melodic, DIRTmade Alice In Chains national stars in 1992 after being around the Seattle alternative rock scene for many years. They produce a blindingly together sound, with the bass of Mike Starr able to switch between following the bass drum beat andcloning Jerry Cantrell's guitar note for note, albeit a fewoctaves lower. They have such polish that they are often reminiscent of the heyday of Led Zeppelin. Lyrically they plough the familiar angst furrow with tracks such as 'Junkhead','Sickman' and 'God Smack'. Equally satisfying are 'Them Bones' and 'Rooster', which saw them start in a direction that led to Jar Of Flies two years later.

Customer Reviews

Pure Brilliance
The Band's second full length album sees a slight departure from their 80s heavy metal influenced debut Facelift. This album brings a sludgier feel with songs like Dam that River and Godsmack delivering the type of heavy riffs that any rock fan dreams of. The band also show their softer side with absolute classics like Down in a Hole and Would? filling the listener with heart warming satisfaction whilst also proving that their song writing capabilities are up there with the best. Not one song on this album fails to satisfy and even the hardest of rock fans, while undoubtedly enjoying the heavier songs, will fall in love with the softer moments on the album. This was the album that brought Alice to my attention, as soon as it was played to me by a friend i knew that this was a band that could quench my thirst for both heavy straight up rock songs and slower more acoustic sounding songs. Layne's voice coupled with Jerry's amazing riffs and Songwriting ability makes any Alice album a must for any fan of rock music and Dirt in particular is a fantastic oppurtunity for anyone to become enlightened as to just how good this band is.

"Empty Eyes and Dead-End Stares"
I first heard Alice in Chains 'Dirt' on a compilation album called 'Dad, I Blew Up America' that featured two tracks off 'Dirt', namely 'Rooster' and 'Hate to Feel'. It was 'Hate to Feel' that I particularly liked a lot so the album was a natural purchase and I can tell you I was not disappointed. Alice in Chains' always sounded like a mix of Black Sabbath's 'Paranoid' and Led Zeppelin's I & II and it's on 'Dirt' that they achieved that to near perfection while still sounding original. They should have called this their 'Greatest Hits' because all the songs are classics on Dirt. The thing that makes this record great is it's simplicity, there's nothing ostentatious or vague about it musically or lyrically. Musically it's rhythmically solid, bare, sometimes discordant and atonal and lyrically, direct, poignant and somewhat gleeful in it's delivery. The theme running through the record for the most part is that of drug taking, in particular Heroin, and it's in this quagmire that the dirt is delivered. 'Dirt' spoke on behalf of Generation X when it scaled the charts in 1992 helped along by the success of Nirvana and Soundgarden that swept away the glut of rubbish that clogged the rock charts before it. The early nineties was for a brief spell an exciting time for rock and say what you like about the so-called 'grunge scene' it produced its fair share of what will become classic records and it's undeniable that 'Dirt' was instrumental in building on the rock legacy for generations to come. It's an excellent album and a worthy addition to any collection, buy it if you don't already own it.

Just Get It.!!
When it comes to grunge (hey,i dont like the word either but to make matters easier) there are often complaints that Nirvana overshadowed bands like Soundgarden,or Pearl Jam.However,i feel Alice In Chains to be to most under-rated,over-looked band of our
time.
This is their best work,and the very fact that i would put it up their with Nirvana`s best is high praise indeed.Layne had such amazing vocals,and the lyrics are truly haunting.It is a consistantly strong album,put simply u wont find yourself skipping every second song.

And finally,this album is now elavated to new levels with the tragic passing of Layne,with songs like "Down In A Hole","Sickman","Rain When I Die" and "Junkhead" that bring tears to my eyes.

R.I.P Layne,thanks.